This paper analyses the response of agricultural extension workers to incentives generated by a Grameen Foundation-sponsored extension program. The effectiveness of extension services in agricultural development has been a subject of debates over a considerable period. However, it is acknowledged that access and transfer of agricultural knowledge and technology are critical in developing agriculture and improving food security, especially in rural areas of developing countries. This is the area in which extension workers play a role: they are the main actors in the delivery of agricultural services to rural and remote communities.
Using data from an extension project in Uganda, this study examines the performance of 440 Community Knowledge Workers (CKWs) based on the incentive structure established by the Grameen Foundation. It was found that after inflation adjustments, an average increase of 47% of the original salary pay resulted in an average increase of approximately 9% in the productivity level of CKWs and it reduced the presence of poor performers.
The poor performance of public civil servants has raised some concerns in the past and some argue that the lack of effective incentives and low levels of job satisfaction in government outreach and extension programs could be a factor. This study was conducted to provide quantitative evidence on incentive effects and its results enable a better understanding of how CKWs can be adequately incentivized. A discussion of the appropriate investments and design that could be adapted in agricultural extension programs in the sub-Saharan African setting is also incorporated in this analysis.